As the summer wines down, it’s an ideal time to revisit your goals. Are they still in synch with your vision … your values? What were your old goals? Are they stay valid? What’s working for you now? What isn’t? What worked last year? What didn’t? If you have the magic wand, what would you like this year to do for you … for your author and book success.

Whatever it is … you need a plan. For You. Your Book. Your Publishing. No author plans to fail; what they do is fail to plan.

-Snappy Sassy Salty Success for Authors and Writers

When I completed Snappy Sassy Salty Success for Authors and Writers, it was woven with quotations to kick-start and propel you forward. If you are going to succeed in this writing, authoring, publishing arena, you need to be kick-started and refueled to propel your forward.

Most of us have resolutions at the beginning of each year, loaded with good intentions. By mid-January, they begin to dwindle. Between March and June, it’s adios. As the summer rolls by, this is a good time to do some noodling. Should those good intentions be ditched?

First, start with realism. Not pie-in-the-sky … reaching to stuff that is more fantasy and fiction vs “yes, this can happen” approach. Becoming an Amazon bestseller is totally possible; getting in front of media is totally possible; having an awesome book event is totally possible; speaking at an event and selling lots of books is totally possible. Is being on the New Times bestseller list possible? Maybe … probable … hmm, not so sure. Necessary … no. 

Being realistic is critical to tying in with success for you and your book. It’s goal setting time …

To set you and your book into a positive book strategy mindset for 2014, here are a 8 key tips that I used in one of our Blogs…if you missed it, it’s new. If you read it, it’s the perfect time to review.

Be realistic. You might want your book to sell 20,000 copies … do you have a GamePlan in place to initiate and support it. Do you have the time to support it? Do you have the energy? Do you have a network? If not, perhaps it’s not a realistic goal for you right now.

Determine if your Goals are measureable and make them so they are. Don’t be vague or up in the air. Put numbers, facts by them. Don’t say “Get on TV” or “Sell more books.” State what TV show you will get on … how many books you will sell (a special amount of percentage increase).

Create Stepping Stones … ones that you can “measure” as you move along. Yes, start with “I’m going to___________.” Now, step up steps to get to the end result, one by one.

Get a Goal Pal…someone you connect with once a week…a someone who will help hold you accountable and be an encourager as well.

Create a visual Goal Board. Write yours down.

Create an Action Plan for you and your book. Once you get these in writing, “ahas” happen. It is also a crucial and realistic checkpoint.

Review as the year flows. Tweak here and there. Stay on track.

Revisit your Goals. Record your accomplishments as the year progresses. It keeps you “goosed” and IDs what’s working … and what is not.

Celebrate when you achieve a Goal. And here’s the fun part… you design the celebration around what you want to do.

Ta Dah! Here’s to reaching all of your personal and book marketing goals in 2023!

Get tuned in so you and your book can be tuned up!

Dr. Judith Briles started writing notes to her classmates in first grade … and got into “disruptive trouble” from her teachers. She’s now the author of 48 books and counting, still being a disrupter. Her books have won over 55 book awards and been Amazon bestsellers. You can follow her professional side at www.TheBookShepherd.com where she works with writers to become published authors. Listen in to her weekly podcast: AuthorU: Your Guide to Book Publishing at https://bit.ly/AuthorUPodcast

©2025 Judith Briles – The Book Shepherd™ All Rights Reserved